Chapter 10, the movement of the stars and the shifting of the constellations.

First, sir, how is my brother? Ma Sanniang had long been frightened, her face as pale as snow. She leaned forward, half-kneeling beside the bed, and inquired with a hint of anticipation.

Thanks to your younger brother

"Brother Bosheng, there is no need to be overly polite. The success of this plan primarily depends on you." Feng Yi smiled slightly and lowered his voice to add, "Tomorrow morning, we will divide our forces into several groups, first..."

Hmm. "Ma Sanniang nodded in acknowledgment, and just as she was about to add a few more words, Liu Yan preemptively responded for her, 'Alas, our family is unfortunate. Although the fire was set by Ma Sanniang, it was instigated by my brother Liu Xiu. And these few wild boys are all accomplices!'"

Zhang Jun, Xu Yu, and Qu Yang each stepped forward, smiling as they added their remarks

Thank you, thank you, brothers! Liu Yan felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude in his heart and bowed again in salute. However, Liu Zhi quickly shifted the focus of the conversation and said in a deep voice, "However, we are all individuals of some renown, with families and friends in various places. Therefore, Liu believes that at this moment, it is not advisable for us to engage in direct conflict with the authorities. If we can blend in with the common people and escape the city after dawn, that would be ideal. If we cannot escape, we should find a place to temporarily hide the Ma siblings and then continue to look for an appropriate opportunity." If we can blend in with the common people and escape the city after dawn, that would be ideal. If we cannot escape, we should find a place to temporarily hide the Ma siblings and then continue to look for an appropriate opportunity.

That is natural, next, we shall engage in a battle of wits with the local authorities! Liu Yan was also concerned that the matter might escalate too much, implicating the families of everyone involved, and immediately nodded vigorously.

"What are you so proud of? Everyone almost got killed because of you!" Only Liu Xiu's elder brother, Liu Yan, had long been aware of the capabilities of his younger brother and Yan Guang. He raised his hand and gently slapped Liu Xiu, then added seriously, "Although Cen Peng has gone back to put out the fire, he will eventually come to his senses. Even if he doesn't come looking for trouble again, he will still be guarding the city gate. After all, Jiyang is his territory, and he can trap the Ma siblings there."

Liu Yan was once again amused by him, shaking his head and laughing. After laughing, he turned his gaze towards Feng Yi, Liu Zhi, and others, clasping his hands and saying: "Esteemed gentlemen, I, Liu, humbly accept your kindness. This time, it was my younger brother who caused trouble, which has dragged all of you into a significant predicament. If there is an opportunity in the future..."

"How did you get hurt!" Zhu You's keen eyes noticed the crimson patch on Ma Sandang's left shoulder, and he was so frightened that he rushed over in one step, raising his hand to cover it. Before his palm could even touch the wound, Ma Sandang had already slapped his arm aside, saying, "It's nothing serious, I accidentally got hit by an arrow when I was leaving. That person didn't fare any better; he took a stone from me right in the face."

What kind of skill is it to openly confront others with swords and guns, only to first use a pretext of amnesty to deceive them into coming, and then close the city gates to launch a brutal attack? This is not a display of true ability

He did not have to reveal these matters, but since others had come to his aid with righteousness, his generous nature naturally led him not to deliberately conceal anything. At that moment, he clearly introduced the "criminal process" that he had just interrogated from Liu Xiu and others from beginning to end

You all... Ma Sanniang felt both shocked and delighted, as she poked the knife with one hand, and two streams of hot tears unknowingly flowed down her face.

Liu Zhi is older than all of them and acts with the greatest composure. After everyone has expressed their opinions, he shakes his head and quietly says: "Now that things have come to this point, any further talk is unnecessary. Brother Bosheng, what should we do next? Please feel free to give your instructions."

Today, she was deceived by Cen Peng into a trap at Jiyang, where a heavy ambush awaited her. This made her lose trust in everyone in the world. However, next, whether it was Liu Xiu, Yan Guang, Deng Feng, Zhu You, or Liu Yan, Deng Chen, Feng Yi, and Liu Zhi, they all made her suddenly realize that there are still many heroes in this world who are bold and principled, true to their words and actions. Those treacherous and cunning individuals like Cen Peng, who speak sweetly but harbor malice, ultimately cannot win the hearts of the people.

"I do not recognize." Liu Yan and Deng Chen shook their heads simultaneously

Ma Sanniang was taken aback, standing with a knife in one hand. Seeing her fully on guard, Liu Yan smiled and shook his head, whispering: "Look, this is the result I mentioned. What you siblings have done may sound exhilarating, but looking around, you are enemies with the whole world. How could such exhilaration last long? Do not be afraid, put down the knife! They are all my close friends and will never easily harm you!"

"You, you don't have to leave! Liu San'er said that Cen Peng will not be coming back!" Zhu Youwan's face twisted in pain as if she had been hurt, and she rushed forward, grabbing Ma Sanniang's sleeve.

"Everyone sit down and show some composure!" Liu Yan furrowed his brow and quietly commanded. He then pushed the four young boys aside, lowered his head, and looked into Feng Yi's eyes, softly urging, "If you need anything, Brother Gongsun, please feel free to speak. We are at your disposal."

Liu Yan and Deng Chen, of course, still remembered Ren Guang's reaction at that time, and they gently nodded, subsequently saying, "Regardless of whether he truly perceived it or merely pretended to, we must still accept this sentiment."

What a close call, what a close call

"Good, what a brilliant strategy of surrounding Wei to rescue Zhao!" The group of heroes, if they had not listened, would have remained indifferent; however, upon hearing it, each one could not help but applaud in admiration, "Thanks to your younger brother's wisdom, at a critical moment, Cen Peng was thrown into confusion; otherwise, otherwise, just now we would have been caught red-handed by Cen Peng!"

Before he could select a feasible idea from the thousands of thoughts, Feng Yi, who had previously been silent, suddenly raised his head and quietly asked, "Ma Sanniang, the fire at the county office was set by you, wasn't it?"

"Certainly, certainly," Ma Sanniang, as if granted a great pardon, wiped her tears and nodded repeatedly, "As long as you can send my brother out of the city, I will definitely persuade him to wash his hands clean of this business, wash his hands clean!"

Liu Zhi regarded him as a child, not even glancing at him, and continued, "The city gates will only open at the hour of the rabbit, and it has just passed the hour of the tiger. How shall we exit the city, Bo Sheng, Gongsun, Xiu Feng, and all the brothers? We need to calculate this carefully."

"Then it has nothing to do with us." Liu Zhi had just treated and bandaged Ma Wu's wound, yet he still maintained a posture of irreconcilable opposition, coldly interrupting Ma Sanniang's words. He then turned his head back to Liu Yan and Deng Chen, and in a deep voice asked, "Brother Bosheng, Brother Weiqing, do you know that Ren Guang, County Lieutenant Ren?"

That was my overthinking. At the moment of departure, Ren Guang's attitude was rather ambiguous, clearly indicating that he had perceived something but chose not to speak it out loud. This shows that although this person serves under Cen Peng, he possesses a chivalrous heart, unlike the likes of Yin Xuan and Li Miao.

What method? Zhu You, Liu Xiu, Deng Feng, and Yan Guang jumped up simultaneously, surrounding Feng Yi, urging in low voices, "Please hurry and speak, Brother Feng. We know your previous question must have profound meaning. Speak quickly, speak quickly. As long as there is a method, it doesn't matter if the difficulty is a bit greater!"

If we... Liu Zhi heard this and instinctively wanted to advise everyone to privately seek Ren Guang for a deal. However, just as the words were about to leave his mouth, Zhang Jun interrupted him, saying, "He is an official, and Ma Wu is a thief. It is already quite difficult for him to reach this point. In any case, we must not trouble him any further"

If Cen Peng were to engage in a fair fight with you siblings today, we might even beat the drums in support. First, he deceives people by claiming to seek submission, then he shuts the door and kills. Hehe ... ...

Liu Yan originally intended to teach Ma San Niang a lesson, so that she would not dare to commit arson and murder at will in the future. Seeing that his younger brother and Zhu You were so disappointing, he could only snort coldly and add with a stern face: "Hmph! Are you not tired of dragging everyone down? Now you want to throw yourself into the net and let Cen Peng capture us all? They are right; if you hide in the inn, Cen Peng may not come to search again. But if you leave, you might fall into the hands of the county soldiers, and we would all have to suffer the consequences together! They are right; if you hide in the inn, Cen Peng may not come to search again. But if you leave, you might fall into the hands of the county soldiers, and we would all have to suffer the consequences together! Moreover, at this late hour, the city gates are closed; how can you fly out? It would be better to wait until dawn, and I, Liu, will find a way to send you siblings away! However, under heaven, there is no land that does not belong to the king. We can save your brother this time, but we cannot save him a second time. If you can escape smoothly this time, I hope you siblings can wash your hands of this and never again try to oppose the authorities!" However, under heaven, there is no land that does not belong to the king. We can save your brother this time, but we cannot save him a second time. If you can escape smoothly this time, I hope you siblings can wash your hands of this and never again try to oppose the authorities!

"Alright, don't rush to cry just yet, quickly go and bandage your wound. Zhu You, help her fetch some water!" Upon seeing this, Liu Yan felt a surge of compassion in his heart, shook his head, and quietly instructed.

"That's good, very good." Zhu You was caught in an awkward situation, standing to the side with a flushed face, continuing to strike up a conversation, "You should get up quickly. I have already told you that Brother Liu and Brother Deng are both extraordinary heroes, and they would never abandon you siblings in your time of need!"

Indeed, I have long found that Cen Peng displeasing!

Ah, ah! Without waiting for Ma Sanniang to respond, Zhu You had already rushed towards the wooden basin as if he had found a rare treasure, eagerly agreeing in quick succession. In the blink of an eye, he had dashed down the first floor, disappearing from sight

It is absolutely impossible to force a way through, and there is no need to consider ordinary methods. Cen Peng is an exceptionally intelligent person, which truly causes a headache... Liu Zhi is worried about this, rubbing his temples and pondering softly.

Ma Sanniang, however, was unwilling to heed his advice. She insisted on bowing three times to Liu Yan and Deng Chen before struggling to stand up and quickly walking towards the bed. "The fire near the county office has already been brought under control, and Cen Peng will likely return soon. Our benefactor has helped us siblings so much; we cannot continue to stay and burden everyone. Liu San'er, please help me check the wind at the door; I will..."

This statement is evidently very reasonable. Ren Guang may have acted out of sympathy, leaving a glimmer of hope for the Ma siblings just now. Perhaps he was at odds with Cen Peng, which is why he deliberately pretended not to notice the flaws that everyone had just revealed. However, regardless of the specific reason, he has already reached his limit. It is impossible for him to openly release them, and even more so, he cannot jeopardize his own promising future to save the Ma siblings

Indeed, even if Cen Peng suspects that we are harboring you siblings, he would not believe that we would not transfer you brothers in a timely manner. Therefore, this place is actually the safest right now! At this moment, Liu Xiu was not in the mood to care about others calling him by his nickname Liu San'er. He quickly followed Zhu You, stepped forward, grabbed the other sleeve of Ma San Niang, and quietly advised her.

The flickering candlelight illuminates a group of figures of varying heights

In that case, we can only fight to the death!

"Let's say a little less, there are serious matters to attend to." Liu Zhi was the last to speak, yet his words caused everyone to swallow their thoughts back.

"Young lady, there is no need to be nervous, I mean no harm!" Feng Yi also smiled and gently cupped his hands in salute to Ma Sanniang

Hey! Everyone turned their heads, caught between laughter and tears

What is happening in this world? Before the words had left his mouth, Liu Zhi's short and sturdy figure had already appeared at the door, followed closely by Feng Yi and Zhang Jun, who entered as well. The uncrowned Qu Yang walked last, casually closing the door tightly behind him.

As she spoke, she prepared to lift her brother Ma Wu and leave. However, the arrow wound on her shoulder had just been inflicted, and she could only muster two-tenths of her usual strength. After several attempts, not only did she fail to achieve her goal, but she also caused the wound to tear open again, blood streaming down.

"That was close, otherwise Cen Peng would have gone mad!" Liu Zhi, Feng Yi, and others simultaneously gasped in shock, turning their faces to involuntarily glance at the crimson horizon outside the window, and then, almost in unison, turned their faces back to the four young boys in the room. They thought to themselves: Good heavens, what kind of monsters have been reincarnated in these few? At just fourteen or fifteen years old, they can unite and make the adults dance to their tune. If they grow to be twenty-three or twenty-four, how many people in this world will be able to subdue them?

You, do not cry, he is just saying formalities! Those from official families, before taking action, must first clarify their connections! Just now, Zhu You, who had just returned with a basin of water, felt a deep sense of pity, comforting Ma Sanniang while glaring angrily at Liu Zhi.

Before my brother descended the mountain to accept the amnesty, he was already injured. Otherwise, how could Cen Peng possibly have harmed him with just those two moves?" Ma Sanniang's face flushed slightly, and like a hen protecting her chicks, she stood in front of her brother, eager to explain

He was born into an official family and was quite knowledgeable about legal matters, his demeanor and speech carried a hint of official authority. Ma Sanniang was not one to fear death, but at the tender age of fifteen or sixteen, and in a situation where she was seeking help from others, her spirit inevitably weakened a bit. She had no choice but to lower her head and remain silent. It was only when Liu Zhi finally turned his gaze elsewhere, satisfied, that two lines of clear tears slowly fell down her cheeks once again.

"We do not wish to resort to such measures, but the state of the world..." Ma Sanniang fundamentally disagreed with his words, yet as she was in need of assistance, she could only nod slightly and explain with a hint of grievance

Since it has already been done, whether intentionally or unintentionally, there is no reason for regret

Deng Feng also suggested directly capturing Cen Peng's mother as a hostage, but I rejected that idea! Zhu You, fearing that he would be left out, squeezed forward and loudly claimed credit.

Several gentlemen have praised me. Liu, I am truly unworthy of such compliments! After all, I am still just a half-grown child. Liu Xiu, listening nearby, felt a great sense of pride in his heart. Imitating the adults, he clasped his hands and quietly added, "It is not solely my achievement; the idea to set the fire was mine. However, before leaving, Ma Sanniang was reminded by Yan Guang to remember to smash the water tank used by the county office for firefighting and to cut the well rope. This was much more meticulous than I was."

"You won't die just yet, but don't even think about engaging in combat with others for at least three to six months!" Liu Zhi rolled his eyes at her and replied irritably, "If you can miraculously escape this time, you better advise him to find a place to recuperate for a year and a half. Otherwise, if he lives to see forty, I will write my surname backwards!"

Then it depends on his fate! After all, we are not immortals." Liu Zhi responded softly, turning to the bedside and casually unfastening Ma Wu's clothing. There, on the sturdy and robust chest of the man, were bandages of varying widths wrapped around. Some appeared quite new, yet were still seeping blood outward. Others looked tattered and worn, but faintly emitted a putrid odor, reminiscent of a beast's carcass exposed in the wilderness for days, causing one's stomach to churn.

I have long admired the name of Ma Wu

Indeed, ambition is not determined by age

"It was Brother Bosheng who asked me to invite everyone here, precisely to find a way to save you and your sister from this predicament!" In order to ensure that Ma Sanniang would understand, Deng Chen quickly added.

Sigh, then, that would be somewhat troublesome! Upon hearing this, Liu Zhi had no choice but to abandon his plan to seek help from Ren Guang, furrowing his brows and beginning to ponder deeply.

Brother Bo Sheng, you are being too modest! Feng Yi chuckled heartily, shaking his head to interrupt, "The ruffians and scoundrels were dealt with by us together, and the county soldiers were also fought off by us together. Now that things have come to this point, I fear that no matter how we try to clear ourselves, we cannot wash our hands clean. It would be better to boldly take a chance! Moreover, that Ma Zizhang is a truly great man; how could he die at the hands of petty criminals!"

You need not cry, for I have just thought of a solution, albeit it is rather troublesome to implement. Feng Yi took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket, gently handed it over, and then softly offered his consolation

As she observed everyone suddenly fall into silence, Ma Sanniang immediately guessed that it was likely easy to enter Zhi Yang City but difficult to leave. In a moment of anxiety, two lines of clear tears silently fell once again.

"I am unworthy, I am unworthy. Please rise, young lady, please rise quickly!" Liu Yan and Deng Chen, neither of whom were willing to accept, both turned their bodies slightly to the side and spoke in low voices.

"If you don't want your brother to die, then step aside!" Liu Zhi raised his hand and pushed her aside, pulling out a small knife from his waist. In a few swift motions, he cut through all the old and new cloth on Ma Wu's body. Then, he used a clean handkerchief to dab the clear water that Zhu You had just brought back, washing all the wounds thoroughly. He first carefully sprinkled the golden wound medicine he had brought, then used the knife to cut the window curtain into thin strips to re-bandage the wounds. Finally, he washed his hands clean with clear water and shook his head, saying, "No wonder he was easily deceived by Cen Peng; it turns out he was already injured and could barely hold on. He was willing to risk his life to secure a better future for his brothers. This girl Zhang has a good heart, but she has over-simplified the situation!"

Liu Zhi hesitated for a moment, then straightened his face and turned his head towards Ma Sanniang, solemnly reiterating: "This time we saved you out of consideration for the past righteous deeds of you siblings, and it is not because we wish to collude with you. If we meet again and you are still engaged in robbery and theft, do not blame us for fulfilling our duty as loyal subjects and capturing you siblings to bring you to justice"

The other heroes were also at a loss for a good idea. Everyone sympathized with the Ma siblings, but to take up arms and rebel for the sake of these two siblings, confronting the authorities head-on, was clearly not worth it. On the other hand, if they did not make a bold move, it would only confirm Liu Yan's words: as long as Cen Peng guarded the city gate, the Ma siblings would forever be unable to escape.

"That is natural!" Liu Yan and Feng Yi responded in unison. Immediately, they quickly turned their gaze to the unconscious Ma Wu, "I just wonder if Ma Zizhang can hold on until that time!"

Isn't that so? Once Cen Peng had Ma Wu trapped in the room just now, we, we would truly be unable to cleanse ourselves even if we jumped into the Yellow River!